COVID-19 upends ‘entire generation’ of 600 million South Asian children

Jun 24, 2020, at 10:08 am

New York/IBNS: Without urgent action, COVID-19 will continue to unravel decades of progress across South Asia, destroying the “hopes and futures of an entire generation”, warns a new report released on Tuesday by the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF.

Vote in Japan to change status of disputed islands, may escalate tension with China

Jun 23, 2020, at 11:01 pm

Tokyo: The dispute between Japan and China might reach another point of tension as a Japanese city passed a bill to change the administrative name of a group of islands under its authority to officially include the name "Senkaku" for the first time.

Japan-China may engage in bitter standoff over claim on group of islands on East China Sea

Jun 23, 2020, at 10:53 pm

Beijing/Tokyo: Away from Ladakh, a group of islands on the East China Sea can be the next hotspot for a bigger dispute between India and China as both the countries claim the region to be their own.

Somalia bombing leaves 3 dead

Jun 23, 2020, at 04:41 pm

Mogadishu/Xinhua: Three people including a suicide bomber were killed in an explosion outside a military training school in Mogadishu early on Tuesday, a government official has confirmed.

North Korea sets up loudspeakers along border

Jun 23, 2020, at 04:29 pm

Seoul/UNI:  North Korea has set up around 20 loudspeakers in its border with South Korea for the purpose of voicing its propaganda.

Turkey arrests four people for Spying for France - Daily Sabah

Jun 23, 2020, at 10:02 am

Moscow/Sputnik: Turkey's authorities have arrested four people for spying in favor of France, the Daily Sabah reported.

New Assembly president pledges to serve UN ‘as a whole’, building consensus

Jun 23, 2020, at 09:44 am

New York/IBNS: The expectations and views of each of the world’s regional groups and its members “will be equally important and valuable to me”, the newly elected president of what will be the 75th UN General Assembly, told an informal meeting of the world body on Monday.

COVID ‘exacerbating existing vulnerabilities’ in Central African Republic: Lacroix

Jun 23, 2020, at 09:42 am

New York/IBNS: The Central African Republic (CAR) is making progress as it prepares for presidential and legislative elections in December, but the political situation is still fragile - and security conditions volatile - amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said on Monday.

First Person: Ending violence against women - ‘men and boys — I am talking to you’, says UN Deputy Chief

Jun 23, 2020, at 09:38 am

New York/IBNS: Men and boys who “turn a blind eye” to violence against women, must accept that they are “accomplices to violence” according to the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

Kung fu shrine Shaolin Temple reopens to public

Jun 22, 2020, at 05:13 pm

Zhengzhou/Xinhua: China's kung fu shrine Shaolin Temple reopened to the public on Monday, ending a months-long closure amid the COVID-19 epidemic.

Black, minority representation in UK senior-level jobs remains vanishingly small - Report

Jun 22, 2020, at 05:08 pm

Moscow/Sputnik: The proportion of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people in leadership positions in United Kingdom businesses have hardly budged since 2014, a report found.

North Korea has 12 Million leaflets ready to be Spread in South Korea - Reports

Jun 22, 2020, at 09:29 am

Moscow/Sputnik: North Korea has printed 12 million leaflets intended to be distributed in South Korea as part of an information campaign against Seoul, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports.

National security law will trigger fresh protests in Hong Kong: Joshua Wong

Jun 21, 2020, at 10:35 pm

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong has said implementation of the new legislation by the Chinese government on the city may trigger protests.

Over 10 policemen wounded during unrest in Germany's Stuttgart

Jun 21, 2020, at 07:02 pm

Berlin/Sputnik: More than ten police officers were injured and over 20 people detained during the unrest that took place on Saturday night in the center of Germany's Stuttgart, the local police said in a press release on Sunday.

UK Police declare Reading attack 'terrorrist incident'

Jun 21, 2020, at 06:31 pm

London/UNI: Police on Sunday confirmed the stabbing attack in Reading, in which three people died a "terrorist incident".

Shooting in uptown Minneapolis leaves one dead, 11 wounded

Jun 21, 2020, at 04:42 pm

Washington/Sputnik: At least one man was killed and 11 injured in a shooting incident in the US city of Minneapolis, police said on Sunday.

Donald Trump may announce visa restrictions in 2 days: Report

Jun 21, 2020, at 11:58 am

Washington/IBNS: US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he will make major announcements related to new restrictions on visas to certain foreign workers within two days.

National security legislation will bring Chinese system to Hong Kong: Report

Jun 20, 2020, at 10:47 pm

Beijing: The implementation of the Hong Kong national security legislation will make the mainland China's legal system effective on the city that has witnessed violent protests against the law in recent times.

China took aggressive stance as it felt threatened by India's infrastructure building in Ladakh: Gilgit Baltistan activist

Jun 20, 2020, at 10:41 pm

Washington: A  Gilgit Baltistan activist feels that India building the infrastructure projects in Ladakh region has made China feel threatened and it resorted to aggressive stance in recent times.

China creating multiple fronts like one in Ladakh to take advantage of global COVID-19 situation: US diplomat

Jun 20, 2020, at 09:48 pm

Washington: A senior US diplomat feels that China is creating multiple fronts, like the one which it attempted to create in Ladakh, to take advantage of the current situation when the world is busy combating COVID-19 outbreak.

Geneva: Tibetans hold anti-China protest at UN complex

Jun 20, 2020, at 06:45 pm

Geneva: Members of the Tibetan community from Switzerland and Lichtenstein on Friday demonstrated against China in front of the complex of the United Nations here.

Human Rights Council calls on top UN rights official to take action on racist violence

Jun 20, 2020, at 05:03 pm

New York/IBNS: The UN’s top rights official, Michelle Bachelet, is to spearhead efforts to address systemic racism against people of African descent by law enforcement agencies, the Human Rights Council decided on Friday. The resolution – decided unanimously without a vote - follows a rare Urgent Debate in the Council earlier in the week, requested by the African group of nations, following the death of George Floyd in the US state of Minnesota.

COVID-19 intensifies ‘brutal crime’ of sexual violence in conflict

Jun 20, 2020, at 04:53 pm

New York/IBNS: Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is “a brutal crime” that is being exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN chief underscored on Friday, the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Hong Kong: Draft law on national security must comply with rights obligations

Jun 20, 2020, at 04:44 pm

New York/IBNS: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday that her office was closely following developments as China’s top legislative body, the National People’s Congress, holds talks on a proposed national security law for Hong Kong.

Without funds, ‘no choice’ but to suspend most aid flights, warns WFP

Jun 20, 2020, at 04:40 pm

New York/IBNS: A critical warning was issued by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday, declaring that it may soon have “no choice” but to suspend “most” of its critical aid flights, because of a lack of funding.

New UN report offers blueprint for greener, more resilient world of work

Jun 20, 2020, at 04:33 pm

New York/IBNS: Jobs, livelihoods and the well-being of workers, families and businesses across the globe, continue to take a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic; with micro, small and medium enterprises in particular, suffering the dire economic consequences, according to a new policy brief released by the UN on Friday.

Reconsider decision on imposing national security law on Hong Kong: G7 Foreign Ministers urge China

Jun 20, 2020, at 09:52 am

Hong Kong:  Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) member countries have asked China to reconsider its decision to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong.

World Refugee Day: End conflict that drives ‘appalling’ displacement numbers

Jun 20, 2020, at 09:09 am

New York/IBNS: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reminded countries of their fundamental obligation to protect the nearly 80 million people worldwide forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution and other crises.

Uyghur 'Imams' most vulnerable to persecution in China, claim victims

Jun 19, 2020, at 08:22 pm

Beijing:  Uyghur victims’ families and scholars have claimed that religious leaders belonging to their community have become most vulnerable to persecution at the hands of the Chinese community in Xinjiang province of northwest China.

European Union chief diplomat calls for EU-US dialogue to counter Beijing

Jun 19, 2020, at 08:14 pm

Brussels: A key European Union diplomat this week called for talks between Europe and the US with an aim to forge a common transatlantic front against China.